Ways To Make A Cobra Safer

[Carroll DeWeese]

At GM and the other auto manufactures, we build alot of safety into cars. But I have seen the research and as the absolute physical safety of a car improves, people feel safer and push the car closer to the edge (offsetting the safety advantage). If you drive a junker and know that the brakes can fail, you give more distance and show more caution than if you have full racing brakes. The same is true with the other safety technology in cars. We get some improvement but not as much as expected since the improvements change driver behavior.

Also, absolute speed can be a problem; however, most people undervalue relative differences in speed. If all the traffic is going along at 70 mph, the relative position of cars relative to each other is stationary. If one car is going 30 mph and another is going 70 mph with other cars at various speed in between, the situation can be very dangerous. Even though the average speed may be only 45 mph, you have a speed difference in cars up to 40 mph in my example.

Individual and group driving behavior is key to safety.

If you want the safest Cobra, build one that meets all safety specs for racing (full roll bar, etc.) and drive like you have none of it. Yet, do not be too cautious. The slow guy on the road is a hazard to themself and everyone else.